Dragonkin
Dragonkin The Dragonkin are said to have been slaughtered methodically by Daoine in the distant past. This is true, but the story the Dragonkin tell themselves is not the whole truth. History Dragonkin were made by Ealaiontoir, as all other Strainseiri were. They were quiet, simple people who tended to keep to themselves except when mating and raising their young, much like the traditionally solitary Catkin. Their animal form was that of the humble swamp dragon and their lives reflected this. They stayed in warm places and lived on small animals that they could hunt. It was shortly after Ealaiontoir was driven from the land in grief that the change happened. The Daoine were striking back against the Strainseiri, led by false gods. The Dragonkin were pushed further and further from their comfortable swamplands into the heat of the desert. An unusually hot summer came next, scorching the earth and burning that season's eggs where they lay nestled in sand instead of safe amongst rotting vegetation. The mothers feared that their young would never see life at all because of the unbearable heat, but something unexpected happen: a dragon swarm. When exposed to the sustained, high heat, the eggs of the lowly swamp dragon became something more. Larger, more powerful and predominantely male dragonettes hatched, both among the Dragonkin and their animal counterparts. When they were grown, they breathed fire and flew, to the awe of their parents. They took glorious vengeance against the Daoine that had driven them away from their traditional homelands. They took back the swamps first and then realized that they were so great in power and capability, there was no reason to stop there. They took the finest hunting grounds they could, now pushing the Daoine to the fringes. The changes that had made them more physically powerful had also made them more aggressive and that aggression was now turned against all they felt had slighted them. Unfortunately for the dragons, the fine hunting grounds they took through slaughter of the Daoine also lacked the heat of the desert. Only those dragons who had been born during the unbearable heat had the great power. That they were a tiny minority and were not creating more of their own kind was soon noticed by the Daoine, who banded together in fierce war against the dragons. The other Strainseiri joined the Daoine, frightened by the savagery they had seen from their brethren. They hunted down all the Dragonkin they could find, using bolas and slings to strike their vulnerable throats and extinguish the terrible flame forever. The remaining Dragonkin fled to the far deserts of North, praying that Ealaiontoir would bless them with power once again. They have so long dwelt amidst the heat that they no longer remember what they once were. On the rare occasions that a dragonette is born who has not been blessed by the fire, it is seen as a pitiable, broken thing rather than recognized as their original form. Appearance and Magic The Dragonkin of North have rarely interbred with Daoine throughout history, but on the rare occasions they have it's only been with the Northern tribes. As such, there isn't a great deal of variation in their appearances. They tend to have dark brown skin with brown or yellow eyes and dark brown or black curly hair. Males have an average height of 6'; the female average is 5'7". They almost never carry extra fat and are very muscular, particularly through the chest. In their animal form, the Dragonkin of North are scaled, flying reptiles. Hide color can differ dramatically, from emerald green to black to brilliant purple. At the age of seventeen they typically have a wingspan of forty-feet, a body length of twelve feet, and a weight of 300lbs, with males slightly larger than females. At this age their fire-breathing glands are fully developed. Over the course of a lifetime they will continue to slowly grow in this form as true dragons do. Usually, they die of old age before growing so large that they cannot fly. Flight becomes more difficult and is reduced to coasting down from heights once they reach five hundred pounds. Much like Catkin, Dragonkin lack a true third form. They are able to partially shift--such as growing scales, developing the glands in their throats for flame, etc--but do not gain much in size. They cannot partially shift into their wings either. The temperate-born Dragonkin were very similar to their Northern descendents, though there were differences. Color tended towards shades of grey, brown and green to blend into their surroundings. Their wings were small--used for cooling them or coasting down from trees rather than true flight--and their bodies much heavier, with thicker, sturdier bones. They tended to be smaller, with a shifted body length that averaged between four feet for young adults and thirteen feet for the elderly. Dragonkin of North lack any magic, as the epigenetic changes during their incubation block the ability. The magic of the temperate-born Dragonkin revolved around weaving illusions. Customs CUSTOMS Seasonal Gathering As the dragonettes hatched in temperate nests are deemed deformed and pitiful, Dragonkin believe the only way to have healthy offspring is to use nesting sites where the ground is heated by geothermal activity and the air temperature remains hot throughout the day and night. Since such nesting sites are rare, there are no seasonal gatherings. Each female keeps her own nesting site, where she is served by her harem, brothers and sons. Mating takes place in the winter, with eggs laid at the start of summer. They hatch toward the end, incubating during the hottest months. Clutches typically range in size from two eggs to seven, averaging around five eggs. They have been known to be as few as one and as large as twelve, though. The temperate-born Dragonkin from history rarely laid more than four eggs and normally had one at a time. Once the dragonettes hatch, they are cared for by their brothers and uncles. When a female Dragonkin grows old and can no longer maintain her nesting site, a young female from another clan will come with an honor guard of her brothers to take it over. Daughters can never stay at their mother's nesting site and must find a new clan to accept them. If two daughters are growing up at the same time at the same nesting site, competition and potentially lethal violence has not uncommon. One out of every four eggs hatched in North produces a female dragonette. Temperate-born Dragonkin had a sex ratio of 51 females to 49 males. Allies As the Dragonkin have had nothing to do with other Strainseiri for thousands of years, they lack any allies. Category:Strainseiri